Methods for the delivery of postal mail and electronic mail to inmates are known in the art. Procedures or methods for dispensing mail via traditional postal systems have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,925. Systems for using electronic messaging in institutions, such as prisons, have been described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,502,451. Such publications are incorporated herein by reference. Such procedures, however, do not adequately address the conversion of postal mail to electronic mail for the elimination of any contraband being delivered to prison inmates. Embodiments of the presently disclosed invention address such limitations, inter alia, by providing an improved system and method for the elimination of contraband in correctional postal mail via the delivery of electronic copies of such postal mail.